Wilmot rallies after fire

By
CAITLIN HEATHCOTE

Feb. 1, 2014, 9 a.m.

Mail services restored following fire

Wilmot rallies after fire

Volunteer Theresa Saunders (left) and Wilmot Country Store LPO supervisor Joanne Brown wade through mail at the Wilmot Primary School, where mail services are being run following the store fire. Picture: Katrina Dodd.

FULL mail services have been restored at Wilmot following a fire that destroyed the country store last week.

Wilmot Country Store owners Andrew and Pauline Towning said they had been overwhelmed by the response from the local community following the fire. The latest had been the gift of an administration office from Wilmot Primary School.

"Wilmot Primary School approached us with the donation of one of their offices, which we've greatly accepted," Mr Towning said.

The Townings have been taking each day as it comes following the fire and said their solicitors had been in touch with the shop's new owners, who had been expected to take control of the shop this week prior to the fire.

Mr Towning said as far as he understood the new owners were still ready to proceed with the sale, but said he was trying to get as many services back up and running for them when the sale did proceed.

"It's important for us to get as many things back up and running for the new owners to have something viable to buy," Mr Towning said.

Mr Towning said all mail services have been operating at Wilmot Primary School since Thursday, enabling members of the community to collect and post mail as well as pick up copies of The Advocate.

Mr Towning said it was an important step for the community to see things progressing.

"The shop was the centre of the community and it's hugely important for them [the community]," Mr Towning said.

"If the progression is made and things are happening then they don't lose hope."

Mr Towning said the shop site was still in the hands of the insurance company and they were waiting to get access to the site again before any other plans could be made.

"We are hoping to get access soon to try and get to the underground cables so we can re- establish the gas and the petrol pumps," he said.

"We are really waiting on getting access to power."

Mr Towning said a member of the community had donated two shipping containers which could be used as a temporary shop while a new one is rebuilt.

He said he expected to have access to the site next week and have some of the other services reestablished by the end of the week.